Cast iron sinks ... Thrifted and RePurposed fountain and potting bench

I thought I would share with you today this little space at the back door of our workshop that I turned into a potting station, fountain and photo shoot area.

Our friend and neighbor (92) was moving close to his daughter and had a few things to sell. Sitting behind their art studio was this table with yellow cast iron double sinks ... wow, was it ever heavy! He said it was their fish-cleaning sinks but from the traces of paint on it,  I would guess it was where they cleaned their brushes. 

For $15.00, it was coming home with us. We removed the vintage faucets, replaced some rotten wood and painted the stand.


We poured this small slab by the back door of our workshop just the width of the ramp that was already there and put the table there. It sat like this for months. Even the nice wood gate that we built out of reclaimed wood just leaned up against the wall ... too heavy to hang and it covered the electric plug that we always needed to use. It was a nice backdrop for photos.

I am safe in saying that everything that you see here was thrifted or repurposed.

 I could put a cover over the sinks and use it for a table for taking photos. The lighting is perfect until the sun starts going down and then there was too much sun. 



BEFORE 
 Photo shoot of blue tool box.


I used it like that for awhile and then I found this perfect faucet to just sit there for looks.

  

Then one day decided to make a little fountain out of it by putting a bucket of water on the shelf below and adding a recirculating pump to connect to one side of the faucet ... thus, it became a fountain. Having running water is nice to rinse my hands. 

I still use it for photo shoots by laying a board across the sinks.

 Today, was hot but I decided to make that area presentable even though it was not visible from the street.                                        
Cute little thermometer for 25¢

With old gate hinges, I mounted the gate to the wall and made a perfect screen for that one end. 

I hung the glassless window frame that had just been sitting there on top the bucket bench for weeks and added a few more plants. Window frame was a curb-side find. 

The bucket on the shelf under the sinks holds the pump and catches the water. A nice estate sale rocker needed for a short rest.

Old wire fry baskets hanging inside the old window with garden tools, clay pots and Sweet Anne adds interest and a place to store potting stuff. Just straighten the handle on the basket for an easy built-in hanger.

My new friend Cecilia at My Thrift Store Addiction.
inspired me to cut some rosemary and make a swag for my glassless window.  Hope you will hop over to her blog and see her beautiful Rosemary wreath tutorial.
It is so beautiful ... 

 

The awning may not look too pretty from this angle, but it sure helps to drop the temperature. I think it dropped about 4° in just a few minutes after I rolled it out.
 

Just a few steps away is our Windmill water fountain that runs through an old metal water faucet, and adds a pleasant sound of running water. This is where the deer drink and the large birds love it too. Next to the old ranch fence is a vintage metal animal water trough planted with several kind of wildflowers. 
8' trough was $10.00.

 

Thanks for the visit ... hope you leave a note to let me know you were here.

Blessings,

Linking to: 

Revi's Revisionary Life: Thrifty Life Thursday

Angie's Knick of Time Tuesday Vintage Inspired

Thrifting finds ... just what I was looking for ... and more.

We had a huge garage sale this week-end and after seeing how much stuff I have, I was not much in the mood to go thrift shopping for more ... but Wednesday is MY day to go to Fabulous Finds Thrift Store 25¢ Sale. I always find something I can use and 

Mr. Z. and I have a lunch date every week.

Today I found something that I really needed.

                                        

I am building a floor lamp chandelier out of recycled lamp parts which I had hoped to finish for the garage sale ... but NOT ... and I was looking for SIX chandelier shades for it. It also has the sixth light on the top which was added after this picture ... can see it in this picture with the shade. It will have lots of prisms. Beautiful, like new shades for $1.00 each. I may paint the red dots black. The metal parts are oil-rubbed bronze, but look black.

I hit a snag in finishing it, but will blog about it when finished.

 
 The small ironstone platter was 25¢ ... nice old green bottle, thick glass and lots of bubbles, was $2.00 and the large, solid terracotta pear was $1.00. 




 
The Wm. Adams & Sons platter was the only item I bought in the 25¢ sale ... the

rest was bought inside the store. 

These look great on my ladder shelf in front of my large Apple Cider sign that I have had for ages. Mr. S. had apple orchards for a while and this sign was where his apple cider was sold.
It is huge (cut from a 4'x8' piece of plywood)


Last week: $3.50 bought seven nice heavy ironstone bread or dessert plates and the little creamer was 25¢ ... and they look so pretty under the wire trash 
basket cloche.

Remember the 
wire trash basket cloche light 
I made?

... well I had another thrifted basket

 ... cut the bottom out of it, shaped the top, spray it silver and made another cloche with a lamp part piece for the finial ... 
it looks so pretty on the stand I made from spindles and a round wooden disc.

Happiness is when find just what you are looking for when you go 'thrifting' ...

Linking to:   Revi's Revisionay Thrifty Life Thursday 




Knick of Time Tuesday Vintage Decor